I have been travelling and working abroad for over four years, and these days I’m still permanently nomadic but working as a freelance writer. Before I stepped up my online game though, I got myself round the world with a huge array of seasonal jobs! I became kind of an expert on overseas work, and you can learn more about how this can fund your travels over at my blog.

Here’s my top three from the past four years!

One of my first overseas jobs that I used to fund my travels was a summer season in Croatia! I worked at a kids summer camp within a beautiful coastal resort, and i spent my days teaching kayaking, mountain biking and rock climbing. All the fun in the world, and Croatia just happens to be stunning…

For two consecutive winters in the Alps I ran ski chalets, and I don’t think I’ve ever had so much debauched fun in my life. This is a physically tough job – long hours and a bit of a work hard/play hard culture – but the payoff is enormous! As soon as you master how to cook, clean and host like a boss… you can ski all day!

One of my wildest jobs – and definitely the one that toughened me up like nothing else – was working as a cow girl in the Australian outback. I kid you not, it is a ruggedly brutal existence of sheer exhaustion cloaked in perpetual red dust. 7 of us worked an area half the size of Switzerland, pushing 25,000 dangerous and feral cattle across it. Think helicopters, quad bikes, motorbikes, deadly snakes, dingos, 14 hour days, feral bulls, injuries galore, blood, sweat, tears… And the life-affirming knowledge that I, a little girl from London, could take on it all.

I have always been drawn to jobs that involve travel, no matter how big or small the salary was (usually the latter if you are curious) because there was a huge appealing factor that immediately turned them into something I couldn’t help it but applying and, in the end after showing all my enthusiasm, getting them.

Therefore, I worked as a group leader and guide in many different countries such as Canada, UK, the US and – here comes the best one – the French Alps during 5 Winter seasons and a whole Summer. Getting to snowboard as part of your job doesn’t look like a bad deal, does it?

Before I started travelling five years ago and teaching English and travel blogging to fund my adventures, I lived in a different world. I was one of those people in the UK who worked Monday to Friday, paid rent, went to the pub at the weekend and at the end of the day, knew that something was missing in my life but couldn’t quite say what. Luckily I found out I had the ‘lack of travel’ bug and promptly fixed it but where was I before the life of TeacakeTravels?

Before becoming a Wander Woman, I worked as a healthcare assistant in a psychiatric ward. Speaking honestly, it was one of the worst years of my life. With nothing therapeutic whatsoever inside the ward, I felt as depressed as the patients in there. Rat infested kitchens, murky coloured walls, endless shots to calm people down and staff who got off on power trips made me vow to make the world a better place, far away from there. On my way last day of work, the one Polish nurse who felt like a mother to me, slammed the locks shut behind me and said goodbye. ‘You don’t belong here Alice’ she said. ‘You’re absolutely right’ I replied boldly. I turned towards the exit and never looked back.

I actually tried out two other careers before becoming a professional travel blogger.

Firstly, I worked in IT for 10 years although I took many extended breaks to travel. I was a computer programmer and then moved into project management. I was so over it by the end. I wanted to do something that actually helped people and felt like it had meaning so I left IT, thanks to a supportive husband, and went back to university to study community development.

I then had my first child and realised that with the cost of child care, I couldn’t actually afford to work in community development as the wages are so low! So I did my teaching diploma while having my second child and got a job as a high school teacher.

Teaching was harder than I imagined. I was working seemingly every moment, spending no time with my kids and still barely keeping my head above water. I was miserable.

This was actually a good thing as it gave me the kick up the backside I needed to quit work and become a full time blogger. 6 months later we left our home in Australia and have now been on the road for 8 months living off my blogging income. It is so awesome to be able to support my family while doing something I love.

I’ve worked in many bars and I LOVE to be a bartender. It’s hard work but you get to meet so many people… Last year my job was to “manage” a hostel bar. I received a lot of visitors from all over the world. It’s great to facilitate a party! Many guys were hitting on me but I never took them serious, because they were there for a short time and most of the time drunk.

I’ve been a freelance filmmaker for 3,5 years. I make promotional movies for DMO’s and entrepreneurs in the tourism sector. It’s great to go out there and create beautiful films with other people. I learn a lot from them. But now I doubt if I want to continue this way, because I also spend a lot of (too much) time in the office doing acquisition and research. Now I’m focusing more on doing camerawork for other companies, which is fun!

I have been writing about my travels for more than 10 years, but I did it mainly to keep my friends and family informed. In december 2014 I noticed that there were many more travel bloggers like me, taking their blog to another level. I thought: “This is great – this is exactly what I’ve always wanted. My Dream Job!” I made a new website (www.mirreopreis.nl) and started uploading new stories every other day. I’ve spent SO much time writing the stories, sorting out the pictures and the videos, and I love it! It’s not only the stories through which I can relive my travels, but especially the people that I get to meet through my blog. A new world opened for me and I can see myself doing this for the rest of my life!

Bio: I’m Mirre, adventurer and filmmaker. I write about adventure tours and city trips. I travel to the farthest corners of the world with my laptop, photo- and videocamera. I blog, photograph and in everyday life I am a freelance filmmaker. My company Sunshine Films& Travel creates promotional films for the tourism sector. With my blogs I will take you to the most special places in the world. Will you come along with me?

WOW! This is so cool! I envy travel bloggers! I live through you guys until I can travel more! I am do local travels for now. I will start logging that for now for my own personal enjoyment but you guys are giving me life, lol. Your pictures and experiences are helping me decide my future trips for sure!!!

I believe it! My dad is a producer/ director of a local news station and I equate it to something of that level. He traveled to Vietnam one time in his 49 years with the station and he sad that it was a special broadcast that took even more time to put together and create than usual and was a sensitive subject since he fought in the war and it was an amazing show but like you said to see if it from start to finish there was a lot of work I never would have known went on with it had I not seen it form myself.

That is really awesome that you got to see that process. I can imagine how much work there is there. Broadcasting news and creating content is definitely not a peace of cake. With these types of jobs, there is a lot going on behind the scenes. People often don’t get to see your effort and how much work goes into it. I will do a post on the matter at some point or a vlog – Haven’t decided just yet.

Mel is awesome, and you are awesome, too!
Before I started travel blogging, I was a nurse. Sometimes I miss it, and someday I will probably go back to nursing, but for now the road is calling my name to loudly to ignore 🙂